The number of forcibly displaced persons has reached a new high in 2023, and currently there are more than 110 million refugees worldwide. Almost 40 % of those forcibly displaced are children (UNHCR, 2023). At the same time, the number of persons with disabilities is also growing. An estimated 1.3 billion people worldwide live with disabilities, which represents 16 % of the global population (WHO, 2022). Both persons with disabilities and refugees are very diverse populations. However, what they often have in common are the experiences of discrimination, exclusion, and inequality, which have so far been well documented.

The above-mentioned heterogeneity within the groups of refugees and persons with disabilities also means that some persons belong simultaneously to both groups. This particular population is far less visible. In fact, the incidence of disabilities amongst refugees still remains unknown (Crock et al., 2017). Some reports suggest even that the incidence seems to be higher than in the general population (HelpAge International & Handicap International, 2014), but reliable statistical data remains unavailable. Refugees with disabilities often face discriminatory practices targeted generally against persons with disabilities and refugees, but they also experience specific oppression stemming from the interplay of these two characteristics. They may thus be left behind during flight or they may not survive the journey, they often lack access to mainstream assistance programmes and are in danger of being exposed to further protection risks, such as sexual and physical violence and harassment (Reilly, 2010). For refugees with disabilities, their journeys often take longer putting them at greater risk of attack and insecurity (Kett & Trani, 2010). When accessing education, one of the fundamental human rights building the cornerstone for the exercise of other human rights, refugees with disabilities face particular challenges as well. Yet in situations of acute crises of human displacement, persons with disabilities and their right to education remain largely forgotten (Crock et al., 2013).

The proposed symposium aims to bring this partly invisible population to light while focusing on the role and experiences of displaced parents of children with disabilities while accessing the right to inclusive education within three different European contexts (Austria, United Kingdom and Germany). It uses the intersectional lens in order to bring not only the invisible cases of violations of the human right to (inclusive) education and the broader system failures to light, but also to highlight agency and resilience of individuals, who are often seen as vulnerable, and point out examples of good practice.

Crock, M., Ernst, C., & McCallum, R. (2013). Where Disability and Displacement Intersect: Asylum Seekers and Refugees with Disabilities. International Journal of Refugee Law, 24(4), 735–764. Crock, M., Saul, B., Smith-Khan, L., & McCallum, R. C. (2017). The legal protection of refugees with disabilities: Forgotten and invisible? Elgar studies in human rights. Edward Elgar Publishing. Handicap International. (2015). Disability in humanitarian context: Views from affected people and organisations. Handicap International. https://handicap-international.ch/sites/ch/files/documents/files/disability-humanitarian-context.pdf HelpAge International, & Handicap International. (2014). Hidden victims of the Syrian crisis: disabled, injured and older refugees. HelpAge International and Handicap International. Kett, M. & Trani, J.-F. (2010). Vulnerability and Disability in Darfour. Forced Migration Review 35, July, pp. 12–14. Reilly, R. (2010). Disabilities among refugees and conflict-affected populations. Forced Migration Review, 35(July), 8–10. UNHCR (2023). Global Trends: Forced Displacement in 2022. UNHCR. WHO (2022). Global report on health equity for persons with disabilities. WHO.